Food Systems Residency
The Role of History, Society and Economics in Shaping Food and Farming
Challenges and possibilities in the path to just food systems
इतिहास, समाज और अर्थशास्त्र के आइने में खेती और खाना
न्यायपूर्ण खाद्य प्रणाली - चुनौतियां और सम्भावनाएं
Organised by:
Co-organised by
The Bihun Collective, an initiative of Agrendia Association
&
Sangtin
About the Workshop
Food is essential for human sustenance, but it is not simply a biological necessity. It is enmeshed in our individual and collective lives. Yet the contemporary food system often hides the complex interplay of temporal, spatial, economic, social, political and cultural dynamics that shape the materiality of food. Simple questions such as when, where and how food is produced, and by whom, remain invisible and unanswered, thus effectively disconnecting food from its context of production.
However, as our food system has become inextricably tied to discourses of ‘unsustainability’ and ‘crisis’, it has become crucial to engage with it critically. Input-heavy modern farming practices have transformed rural India. Today, large swathes of land are being converted to maize and sugarcane cultivation for ethanol production. The ever-increasing use of pesticides and herbicides is impacting health and the environment; soil organic carbon content is dangerously low; and water tables are dropping sharply. Meanwhile, most families cannot afford a nutritious diet, and malnutrition persists.
On the other hand, terms such as ‘Organic food’, ‘Natural farming’, ‘Agroecology’, and ‘Sustainability’ have become quite common in alternative circles today. Proponents of these concepts often praise and attempt to replicate traditional Indian food and farming practices, such as mixed cropping (baranaaja, akkadi saalu), the use of cow dung and small-scale food processing. These interventions are often a response to the challenges that have emerged in conventional farming systems. However, scaling up these interventions has been challenging and requires further rigorous examination.
During this 4-day residential workshop, we will explore the trajectory of food and farming in India and examine sustainable practices through the lens of history, geography, socioeconomic factors, equity and more. The workshop will be held in Sitapur district, a rural area in western Avadh, UP. The participants will learn first-hand about the challenges farming families face in adopting sustainable practices and accessing nutritious food. Through collective learning and discussion, the workshop will examine possible pathways to establishing just food and farming systems.
Important Information
Dates: 8-11th October 2026
Venue: Sitapur District, Uttar Pradesh
Language: The workshop will be conducted bi-lingually (Hindi & English);
proficiency in Hindi is required of participants
Learning Outcomes
Who should join us?
• Professionals and activists working at the grassroots in food systems initiatives and interventions.
• Researchers and academicians interested in critically engaging with food systems.
• Practitioners and members of collectives/organisations engaged in food production and/or experimenting with different farming alternatives.
• Anyone interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of our food systems.
About the Organisers
Sangtin is a grassroots NGO working with 10,000+ female and male farmer-labourers and rural youth in Sitapur, Hardoi and Lakhimpur-Kheri districts of Uttar Pradesh. It supports rural communities in their quest for a life with dignity, and operates in a culture of collective learning and knowledge sharing (seekhne-sikhaane ki prakriya). Sangtin has supported thousands of farmer-labourers to successfully obtain work and wages under MGNREGA since the scheme’s inception, and to access various social security schemes and government benefits. Its millet initiative has led to hundreds of farmers adopting millet-based mixed cropping and the local processing and consumption of indigenous millets. Sangtin organises activities for rural youth and helps them improve their knowledge, skills and confidence.
Agrendia Association was established in 2016 with a mission to empower individuals and collectives through research, story-telling, leadership-building and immersive learning. The Bihun Collective emerged as an initiative of the organisation to critically engage with and examine the contemporary food system. It has developed a multilingual digital repository to document socio-cultural and historical food realities. The initiative’s primary objective is to foster cross-regional and multilingual discourse on the food system through dialogue, advocacy and research. It has organised several workshops, discussions, and capacity-building to encourage research on critical food studies. The Journal of Contemporary Food Studies was launched in 2025 to provide a platform for voices that critically examine the contemporary food system.
Last date for Registration: 30th August 2026
Location:
How to Reach:
How to Reach:
Nearest:
Airport – Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow (116 km)
Railway Station – Sitapur Jn. (3 km.)
Sitapur City Jn. (6.5 km)
Lucknow City Stations – Lucknow Jn. Gomati Nagar, Badshahnagar (90 km)
Bus Station – Sitapur Bus Station (3.3 km)
Last date for Application: 30th August 2026